Improvement in teaching the art of swimming



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' SOCRATES SCHOLFIELD, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN TEACHING THE ART OF-SWIMMING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,3! I, dated Jruly 21, 1863.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beitknown that I, SOCRATES SoHoLFrELD, of Norwich, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Teaching the Art of Swimming; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact descrip tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in arranging loats in such a manner that they may support the wearer when he rst enters the water, gradually losing their efficiency and becoming entirely disconnected automatically while he is making the proper motions in the act of swimming.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, Fi gurel, represents ailoat formed by joining two cones of tin or other sheet metal base to base, having as mall orice, B, for theingress of water, and a similar orifice, C, to allow the air to escape. The short pipe D, furnished with a stopper, may be used to empty the float when iilled. The bolt I, passing through holes in the spurs M M of the iioats and N N of the bar K, which is to be secured to the clothing worn by the carrier, or to a band or strap, serves to connect the iioat, so that it can be released at the proper time, being thrown back for that purpose by the spring J. The small iioat F, in the interior of the iioat A, is connected by the string G to the sliding bar H', which serves to hold the bolt I in place until the water has risen in the float A so as to raise the bar, when the bolt I, by springing back, releases the iioat.

The operation of this apparatus may be as follows-viz. After securing the bar VK to the body of the learner, either by straps or by attaching the same to his clothing, so that the iioat when adjusted may rest upon the back below the shoulders, he should enter the water until he is supported and thus enabled to make the proper motions in the act of swimming without fear 5 but as he continues to swim,the float fills gradually with water through the small orifice B, which may be so graduated as to ill the float in any required time. Now, as the water rises in the float A, it carries with it the small float F, which, acting upon the bar H, disengages the apparatus, which has ceased to act beneficially, allowing the learner to proceed without assistance.

The float used may be constructed in any form and of any material suitable for the purpose, and may also consist of several ioats, instead of the single one, as described, which latter arrangement will render it unnecessary to expel the air, as by automatically releasing them one after the other, the buoyancy of the collective oat will be gradually diminished.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The use of iioats, for the purpose specitied, so constructed and arranged as to gradually exert less and less sustaining force upon the wearer, and become detached automaticaliy while he is making the proper motions in the act of' swimming.

2. The use of a float, the buoyancy of which is gradually destroyed by the ingress of water, substantially as described.

SOCRATES SCHOLEIELD.

Witnesses B. F. ScHoLEIELD, ALBERT S. BACON. 

